Criminal Complaint by the Family of the Soldier Who Allegedly Took His Own Life

* Photo: Mezopotamya Agency

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The family of Mustafa Araz, who allegedly took his own life while doing his military service in Turkey's northwestern Kırklareli province, has filed a criminal complaint. Appealing to the prosecutor's office, the family has requested that the possibility of torture and murder be investigated.

While father Hasan Araz says that there were signs of trauma on his dead body, Cesim Parlak, the attorney of Araz family, notes that there is no camera footage showing Araz entering the unit of the hospital where he was allegedly treated or the derelict building where allegedly lost his life.

Mustafa Araz (23) was a soldier at the 1st Armored Brigade Command's Air Defense Missile Command in Babaeski, Kırklareli. Going to the infirmary with chest pain on May 11, he was referred to hospital.

Family was said that he committed suicide

As reported by daily Sözcü, the commander called father Hasan Araz on the phone at around 4.40 p.m. on May 11 and told him that he got missing and that he left the hospital without informing anyone about it.

One day later, the family was informed that he committed suicide.

Criminal complaint upon statements

As part of the investigation launched into the incident, the statements of his friends and commander were taken. They indicated that Araz had no psychological problems and he was not someone to commit suicide.

Based on these statements, his family living in Turkey's eastern Kars province appealed to Babaeski Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Kırklareli on charges of "wilful killing", "torture" and "misconduct in office."

Father Araz: There were signs of trauma

Speaking to Ahmet Kanbal from the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), father Hasan Araz has indicated that he saw the deceased body of his son following the postmortem examination and briefly stated the following:

"He was healthy when we sent him to the military service, they have sent us back his deceased body. He had no problems. He called us in the evening; next day, his commanders called us and told us that they took him to the hospital. They told us that they could not reach him at the hospital. I called him and I could not reach him either.

"Next day, they informed me. They said to me that they found the deceased body behind the building. It was somewhere away from the hospital, somewhere remote.

"We are suspicious of this: They killed him and put him there. He must have been killed by someone, I mean.

"There were marks on his wrists and hands, suggesting that he was tied. They tied him. There were bruises, signs of trauma all over his face. It was what the prosecutor wrote, too.

"There were signs of trauma in all parts of his hips. There was a deep cleft on his chin. There were again extreme bruises on his back.

"I think that my son was battered to death. I talked to his friends, he told me that he had no problems.

'No camera footage shows him entering the building'

Cesim Parlak, the attorney of Araz family, has noted that when Araz was hospitalized, only his entry and exit from there was captured by cameras.

Parlak has indicated that there is no camera footage showing him while entering the unit at the hospital where he was allegedly treated or going to the derelict building where he allegedly lost his life.

There is also no written record suggesting that he was referred to hospital in an ambulance, Parlak has added further.

* Photo: Sözcü

Reiterating that the company sergeant called the father of Araz on May 11 and said, "Do you know where your son is? He is missing," attorney Araz has indicated that the sergeant called the father again and told him, "We have found your son, he committed suicide at the construction site."

"The dead body was found at the foot of the rear wall of a derelict shopping mall two kilometers away from the Babaeski State Hospital.

"It is against the laws of physics that a person who committed suicide by jumping from 15 meters fell down just next to a wall. Similarly, the deceased body of Mustafa was found with his back on the ground. It is not possible for a person who jumped from a higher place to remain on his back." (EKN/SD)